TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Oct. 10, 2013) - This Thanksgiving, communities all across Ontario are coming together to demand a $14 minimum wage to support low-income workers putting food on the table.

"Too many low-wage workers will be relying on food banks for their Thanksgiving dinner," said Christy Knockleby with the Sudbury Coalition Against Poverty. "When we think about Thanksgiving, we think about food, but we don't always think about who makes our food possible. All along the food chain there are people in low wage jobs, from farm workers to fast food workers.

The Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage is calling on the Premier Kathleen Wynne and the Liberal government to implement a $14 minimum wage for all workers - including farm workers who are presently exempted from the minimum wage and other protections under the Employment Standards Act.

"We put food on Ontario tables, but Ontario's laws unjustly exempt farm workers from minimum wage, overtime and holiday pay," explains Gilberto, a migrant farm worker who has worked in the Leamington area. "All workers should be entitled to a minimum wage that brings us out of poverty and all employers should have to provide these basic benefits that other workers are entitled to."

"The fact the minimum wage has been frozen at $10.25 for three years has created hardship for low-income workers," said Ian Stumpf of Poverty Makes us Sick in Kitchener. "This weekend, we're breaking bread together - but we're also demanding change."

For more information on the campaign, visit: www.raisetheminimumwage.ca

Follow the campaign Twitter account @fairwagesnow and hashtag #14now

The following actions will be taking place in communities across the province:

Barrie:		Saturday October 12, 11am-3pm
		Thanksgiving Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage
		Mapleview Dr. entrance to Park Place.
		David Bradbury: (705) 881-5984
Brampton		Thursday October 10, 10:30am-12:30am
		Rally and leaflet action
		Strip Mall at the South East Corner of Hwy.410/Queen
		Motilall Sarjoo (Sarj): (416) 709-6352
Burlington:		Friday Oct 11, 12pm to 1:30pm
		Outreach blitz
		Brant Street and Lakeshore Road, Burlington
		Cathy Stokes: stokes53@hotmail.com
Kingston:		Friday October 11, 1-2pm
		Information picket at the LaSalle Mews
		Bagot and Princess Streets
		Tara Kainer: 613-544-4525, ext. 113, tarakainer@providence.ca
Kitchener-Waterloo:		Monday October 14, 5:30pm
		Community meal, rally and outreach
		Kitchener City Hall Courtyard, 200 King St W, Kitchener
		Poverty Makes Us Sick: (226) 789 6786, forspecialdiet@gmail.com
Oshawa:		Friday October 11, 2pm
		Leafleting and free turkey sandwiches
		Outside the University of Ontario Institute of Technology campus,
		61 Charles St., Oshawa
		We Are Oshawa, Jesse Cullen: (905) 441-9112, jesse.m.cullen@gmail.com
Ottawa:		Thursday October 10, 12pm
		Don't be a Turkey Action at MPP John Fraser's office
		1795 Kilborn Ave.
		Jill O'Rielly: (613) 808-6523, onacornot@acorncanada.org
Peterborough:		Wednesday October 16, Time TBD
		Leaflet at downtown Peterborough Farmers Market
		Louis St Parking Lot (between Charlotte St. and King St.)
		Paul Brown: (705) 559-1397, pbrown@uwpeterborough.ca
Toronto:		Friday October 11th, 12pm
		Serving a Turkey burger to Premier Kathleen Wynne
		Kathleen Wynne's constituency office. 795 Eglinton Ave E (Just west of Eglinton and Laird)
		John Anderson: (647) 204-2767, toronto@acorncanada.org
		Saturday October 12, 11am
		Feast for Fairness
		St. Lawrence Market Farmers Market
		Front St. E and Jarvis. (1 block south of King St. E)
		Sonia Singh: (647) 235-6912
		Friday October 18, 11am-1pm
		Raise the Minimum Wage Rally
		No Frills Plaza
		Kennedy Rd. and Eglinton Ave. East
		Regi David: (416) 285-0502, ext. 227
St. Catharines:		Friday, October 11, 10am - 12pm
		Outreach blitz in front of No Frills
		Grantham and Welland Avenue
		(905) 932-1646
Sudbury:		Monday October 14, 12-1pm
		March from McDonald's to Tim Hortons
		Meet at 12pm at McDonald's on Notre Dame
		Christy Knockleby: cknockleby@eastlink.ca

The Campaign to Raise the Minimum Wage is coordinated by ACORN, Freedom 90, Mennonite New Life Centre, OCAP, Ontario Campaign 2000, Parkdale Community Legal Services, Put Food in the Budget, Social Planning Toronto, Toronto and York Region Labour Council and Workers' Action Centre.